Popular dogs suffer with severe health issues – but their owners don’t mind

Some of the most popular dog breeds suffer with severe health issues – but the conditions are normalised to their smitten owners, a study says.

Research from Hungary sought to determine why breeds with well-documented problems remain favoured by pet owners.

English and French Bulldogs are brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds and yet are still among the most popular varieties in the US and Europe.

They are joined in the rankings by Boston Terriers and Pugs – both of which share similar deformities.

This, the researchers said, “is surprising — considering the several innate health problems these breeds face.”

At least half of the breeds which have flat faces see chronic eye problems, and breathing difficulties as well as rarely do not have to be born through a C-section.

This decreases their lifespan by three to four years, the researchers claim.

The study was undertaken by ethologists Zsófia Bognár and Dr Enikő Kubinyi of the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary.

Ms Bognár said: “Previously, we observed that flat-faced breeds are more inclined to form eye contact with humans. We assumed that this trait is appealing to owners.

“We also considered the possibility that the enthusiasts of these dogs might not be aware of the innate health issues.”

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Researchers asked 1,156 participants to complete an online survey.

In the poll, they were shown pairs of photographs of 25 dogs — one shot with the canine staring into the camera, and the other looking away — and asked to rate them.

Positive opinions emerged of flat-faced dog breeds randomly selected from among the paired photographs.

The study also found the tendency of these breeds to make eye contact directly – this did not correlate with the popularity which busted a long-held myth.

The survey also revealed that people who like flat-faced dogs appear to be the most aware of the health problems such breeds can suffer.

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Dr Kubinyi commented: “We expected that one of the main attractions of flat-faced dogs lies in their large eyes and that their owners would be delighted when the dogs look at them.

“However, we did not find this to be true — at least, not from the photographs.

“It is also not true that enthusiasts of flat-faced breeds are unaware of the dogs’ health problems or are insensitive to their emotions.

“On the other hand, it has been revealed that they are relatively inexperienced dog owners. Thus, it is most likely that they are unaware of the dogs’ communication signals, may not necessarily recognize signs of pain, and likely consider health problems as normal breed characteristics.

“For example, a snoring and grunting Bulldog appears cute to them, rather than sick and struggling for breath.”

The results suggest that a comprehensive awareness of the health problems faced by brachycephalic breeds does not discourage their fans.

Ms Bognár added: “In many countries, there are awareness campaigns about the health issues of flat-faced breeds.

“However, the growing popularity of flat-faced dogs suggests that these campaigns are not very effective.

“It is clear that simply listing the health problems does not deter people from purchasing these dogs.

“Instead, the emphasis should be on highlighting that health issues should not be considered normal or acceptable characteristics because they often cause pain and suffering for the dogs.”

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